Basketball: New Bern grad Kee named CIAA Coach of Year

Alphonza Kee, a 1992 graduate of New Bern High School, was named the 2013-14 CIAA Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year.

Elizabeth Frantz/ Fayetteville Observer

By Adam Thompson, Sun Journal Staff

Published: Saturday, March 1, 2014 at 06:03 PM.

Alphonza Kee doesn’t just coach basketball. He teaches life lessons.

His philosophy, as head coach at Fayetteville State, revolves around building character and academics.

And then there’s basketball – a sport he grew up playing in New Bern.

Kee, in his fifth season at his alma mater, was named the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year.

“For me, this is special,” said Kee, a 1992 New Bern High graduate. “At this level, we do more than just coach basketball. We have so many roles we take pride in. For me being around coaches as a player, and knowing my history and the deep route of CIAA, it really means the world.”

Kee turned a Broncos’ squad that won just eight games his first season into a contender. Fayetteville State went 19-10 this season, but lost to Livingstone in Friday’s semifinal of the CIAA Tournament in Charlotte – a 10-game turnaround from a year ago.

“I build my team on high school recruits. A part of it was the growth of these young men, compared to some of the other teams in the conference getting transfers,” Kee said. “Most of our players got better, and we added some players who blended in with our program.”

His philosophy, as head coach at Fayetteville State, revolves around building character and academics.

And then there’s basketball – a sport he grew up playing in New Bern.

Kee, in his fifth season at his alma mater, was named the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year.

“For me, this is special,” said Kee, a 1992 New Bern High graduate. “At this level, we do more than just coach basketball. We have so many roles we take pride in. For me being around coaches as a player, and knowing my history and the deep route of CIAA, it really means the world.”

Kee turned a Broncos’ squad that won just eight games his first season into a contender. Fayetteville State went 19-10 this season, but lost to Livingstone in Friday’s semifinal of the CIAA Tournament in Charlotte – a 10-game turnaround from a year ago.

“I build my team on high school recruits. A part of it was the growth of these young men, compared to some of the other teams in the conference getting transfers,” Kee said. “Most of our players got better, and we added some players who blended in with our program.”

Senior Tyrrel Tate led the Broncos in scoring with 18.7 points per game, while Torian Showers and Kinston native Josh Dawson scored close to 10 points per game.

Kee lettered two seasons as a player at Fayetteville State before eventually being announced as the school’s 17th head coach in 2009.

Since day one, he said, his coaching attitude has remained constant.

“I’ve had the same plan, that’s why we’ve been able to have Coach of the Year type of stuff,” he said. “We haven’t changed what we believe in and our philosophy.

“I’ve grown every day and evaluated and gotten better. I’ve been able to work as a coach as continue to improve.”

But like any head coach, Kee credits his assistants.

Associate head coach Corey Thompson has been on Kee’s staff for three seasons. Former Duke player Robert Brickey, a Fayetteville native, finished his first season as an assistant.

“They’ve been outstanding,” Kee said. “We have a belief in building young people in three different areas – character, academics and basketball. We believe in helping young people develop.

“You are only as good as the people around you. They believe what I believe in.”

Prior to this season, his best year was in 2010-11 when Fayetteville State went 15-14. He has a career record of 61-77.

“At my level, we are one of the top one or two conferences in America,” Kee said. “We just kept working. We things on the offensive end to get better at and we got a piece or two to help us out. They continued to get better.”

After graduating from New Bern, Kee played ball at Lamar (Colo.) Community College for two years before joining Fayetteville State.

He was an assistant and recruiting coordinator at North Carolina A&T and Grambling State.

“I’ve been very fortunate. Anytime you have success, if it’s Coach of the Year or coaching a job you really wanted, I think you have to understand that people help you,” Kee said.

“I had people in my life tell me I have complete control of my life plan. My life plan has always included education, character and whatever your dream may be.”